Adjustable shoe closure device having a spring shackle

ABSTRACT

AN ADJUSTABLE CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A SHOE UPPER HAS TWO INTER-ENGAGEABLE CLOSURE MEANS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDES A PIN DISPOSED IN A HOUSING AND IS AXIALLY MOVABLE WITH THE HOUSING BETWEEN A REST POSITION AND AN EXTENDED POSITION AND IMMOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING, AND RESILIENT MEANS IN THE HOUSING BIASING THE PIN TO THE REST POSITION. A SUPPORT PLATE IS MOUNTED ON THE SHOE UPPER AND CARRIES A TURNABLE POST, THE POST PROJECTS THROUGH AN OPENING INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSING, THE PIN IS IN SLIDABLE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE POST AND REVOLVABLE THEREWITH, THEREBY PIVOTING THE HOUSING RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT PLATE.

NOV. 16, 1971 R SCHQCH 3,619,871

ADJUSTABLE SHOE CLOSURE DEVICE HAVING A SPRING SHACKLE Filed Aug. 24, 1970 Fig.2

zg 13 lK ga 3 15 m 20 2 Fig.3

INVENTOR. 0 5e Pt a a BY A42 WW United States Patent O 3,619,871 ADJUSTABLE SHOE CLOSURE DEVICE HAVING A SPRING SHACKLE Robert Schoch, Singen-Hohentwiel, Germany, assignor to Wienman A.G., Schalfhausen, Switzerland Filed Aug. 24, 1970, Ser. No. 66,289 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 29, 1969, G 69 34 052.9 Int. Cl. A43c 11/14 U.S. Cl. 24-68 SK 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable closure device for a shoe upper has two inter-engageable closure means, one of which includes a pin disposed in a housing and is axially movable with the housing between a rest position and an extended position and immovable longitudinally relative to the housing, and resilient means in the housing biasing the pin to the rest position. A support plate is mounted on the shoe upper and carries a turnable post; the post projects through an opening into the interior of the housing, the pin is in slidable engagement with the post and revolvable therewith, thereby pivoting the housing relative to the support plate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is had to my co-pending applications Ser. No. 837,860, filed June 30, 1969; Ser. No. 853,319, filed Aug. 27, 1969; and Ser. No. 853,320, filed Aug. 27, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to sports shoes, and relates more particularly to ski boots of the buckle closure type. Still more particularly, the invention relates to an adjustable shoe closure device for buckle boots provided with a compressible spring.

Ski boots are known, the upper of which includes two flaps, one of which carries a closure means, such as one or many tension devices, while the other flap carries a closure means such as a corresponding number of buckles to engage the tension devices. Each tension device usually is provided with a support plate upon which it is tiltable about an axis parallel to the extension of the support plate, and has a series of notches in any of which the bracket of the buckle may come to rest. The other closure means, namely that which includes the buckle, is constructed as a closure mechanism that is similar to the tension device, is provided with a support plate that is mounted on the upper; the buckle is tiltable about an axis that is parallel to the extension of that support plate.

As each of the closure means is mounted on a different part of the upper of the ski boot, in trying to inter-engage the respective closure means it has often been experienced that present closure means of the afore-described type are deficient therein that the respective mating parts are not always properly aligned. In other words, quite strenuous manipulation is often necessary, including forceful pressure exerted against the width of the foot of the wearer to facilitate locking of the closure means. Moreover, these tension members have not had means for fine adjustments.

A buckle type closure is available on the market having pins which are fashioned in the form of tension springs. The springs, however, permit only a short gripping motion and yield only when exposed to great tractive forces. For a spring travel of for example 3 mm., a tractive force of about 72 pounds is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly one of the principal objects of the invention to provide an adjustable closure device for ski boots that avoids many of the drawbacks of the prior art.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a closure device that permits the tilting of the buckle not only about an axis that is parallel to the support plate, but also about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the extension of the support plate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a closure device which permits automatic fine adjustment of the position of at least one of the closure means, such as the buckle, thereby obviating the need for the wearer to continually interrupt his activity, such as skiing, and manually adjust the closure means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being realized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

Broadly speaking, the instant aims are accomplished by providing a post on the support plates. A pin slidably engages the post and carries a housing and together with the housing is axially movable relative to the post between a rest position, and an extended position wherein it is closest to the other part of the upper. Each upper part has thereon either a buckle or a hook, the two being operative to inter-engage when both upper parts are brought together thereby effectively closing the shoe.

Resilient means, such as a compression spring, is operative to bias the pin and housing towards the rest position.

The closure device is characterized by the fact that it engages a terminal section of the elongated housing in which the spring is arranged around said pin. The spring is preferably a metallic compression spring, and braces itself with one end against an internal surface of the housing, while it braces itself with the other end against the post.

A buckle bracket is journaled to the housing to engage a hook of the other closure means formed on the other shoe upper part.

When tractive forces are exerted with respect to the bracket, the pressure of the spring within the housing resists the resulting travel or travel stroke. The stroke is preferentially limited by a stopping member. Instead of a metallic compression spring, a spring made of elastic material, for example, of rubber or synthetic resins can also be used satisfactorily.

The pin which may be axially movable with the housing is immovable longitudinally relative to the housing. The pin thus can be moved longitudinally along its own axis in the housing, and together with the housing about the axis of rotation of the post through which the pin is placed. There is thus afforded a multiple adjustment of the buckle bracket relative to the support plate. The pin carries the housing with it in all positions to which the pin is put; thus, the pin will be protected by the housing in all positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a closure means in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary central sectional view thereof; and

FIG. 4- is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In carrying the invention into effect the embodiment which has been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in this specification, and referring now to the drawings, there is provided a part of a closure means or closure mechanism 10, for use in connection with a mating part. It comprises a pin 13 that is arranged in a housing 12 having an opening at the bottom thereof. The pin 13 is axially movable with said housing 12 between a rest position and an extended position and immovable longitudinally relative to said housing 12-. The pin 13 is positioned within the internal wall surface of the housing 12 in a secure manner. The rear portion of the pin 13 which is fashioned in the form of a head 15 is positioned such that the pin 13 cannot be removed from the housing 12.

The pin 13 is in sliding engagement with post 16. The post 16, on the other hand, is pivoted by riveting to a support plate 17. The support plate 17 is secured to its respective shoe upper part 19 by means of rivets 20. The rivet pivoting of the post 16 to the plate 17 includes a ring member 18 which is inserted through said support plate 17.

The pin 13 is in slidable engagement with the post 16 and is also revoluble with the post 16 about the axis of the post 16, thereby pivoting the housing 12 relative to the support plate 17.

Resilient means 21, for instance a compression spring, are disposed about the pin 13. The spring 2-1 braces itself with one end against the post 16 and with the other end against an internal surface 22 of the housing 12.

In order to make certain that the spring 21 is not compressed beyond its stress level, the post 16 may be provided with two projection means 23 which extend into a recessed area 24 located in the longitudinal wall of the housing 1 2. that includes a backstop surface 25. The extended portion of the pin 13 and housing 1.2 are thus defined by the abutment of the surface 25 with the projection means 23. At the rivet location 14, a washertype ring 26 may be provided but is not absolutely necessary.

The tilting of the housing '12 in opposite directions about the axis of the pin 13 may also be limited by means of one or more of said projections 23 on the support plate 17 which extend upwardly into the interior of the housing 12, so that the side walls of the housing 12 may abut thereagainst.

Various parts of the closure mechanism 10 are preferably made of metal; such as steel or other conventional suitable material.

The buckle bracket is able to tilt about an axis substantially parallel to the direction of the extension of the support plate 17, by having its ends journaled in a casing 11 that is formed on the housing 12.

The buckle bracket will be utilized for engaging a corresponding member (not shown) on the other part of the shoe upper, as is well known to every person skilled in the art, and to most skiers.

The embodiment shown has been drawn to a scale of about 1.521. For a spring travel of, for instance, 3 mm., a tractive force of only 22 pounds is necessary, which corresponds very well to practical requirements.

Certain of the advantages of the invention have already been referred to. It may be useful, however, to look particularly at this point to the advantageous fact that the closure mechanism 10 is movable in a planetary movement, namely about an axis substantially parallel to the support plate 17, and also about the axis of the post 16 substantially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the support plate 17.

OPERATION The operation of the aforedescribed device is as follows:

After the wearer has placed the shoe on his foot, the two shoe upper parts will be near each other. The buckle bracket on one upper part is then pulled towards a corresponding hook (not shown) on the other upper part for engagement therewith. Turning of the housing 12 about the axis of the post 16 facilitates aligning of the bracket with the respective hook. After engagement the two mating parts form a closure device unit which is operative to close the shoe.

The closing thereof tensions the spring 19 and thereby pulls the housing 12 towards the extended position thereof. This movement is limited by the abutment of a part of the internal surface 25 of the housing 12 with a projection 23-.

The tensioning of the spring 19 with the accompanying movement of the housing 12 affords for automatic fine adjustments of the closure device, thereby taking up any excess slack or tensioning.

I wish it to be understood that 'I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction as shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a closure device, for use in connection with a sports shoe having two upper parts to be releasably put in closing position relative to each other and including two closure means each adapted to be connected to a respective part of the upper.

one of said closure means comprising,

a support plate mounted on the respective part of said a post revolubly connected to said support plate,

an elongated pin in slidable engagement with said post,

a housing secured to said pin, said pin and housing being immovable relative to each other along the longitudinal first axis of said pin,

said pin together with said housing being movable relative to said post in opposite directions along said first axis, between a normal rest position and an extended position,

resilient means urging said housing and pin into said rest position,

and a bracket tiltably mounted on said housing, and

being adapted to engage said other closure means, said bracket being moved in the direction towards said other closure means when said housing is moved from said rest position towards said extended position.

2. In a closure device, as claimed in claim 1, said post being pivoted to said support plate about a second axis substantially perpendicular to said first axis, whereby said pin together with said housing can he slid longitudinally relative to said post by the movement of said pin along said first axis and can also be turned about said second axis.

3. In a closure device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing has an interior wall surface, said resilient means is concealed in said housing and is operable to abut against said post and said interior wall surface of said housing.

4. In a closure device, as claimed in claim 1, said pin being concealed in said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,363,288 l/l968 Lange et a1. 24-68 SK 3,393,430 7/1968 Baso 24-70 SK FOREIGN PATENTS 477,836 10/1969 Switzerland 247O SK DONALD A. GRIFFIN. Primary Examiner 

